Todd Frazier would make a lot of sense for the Mets at third, especially since David Wright is not someone they can rely on any longer. The Giants are among seven teams Ohtani is considering signing with. Yes, Stanton has an opt-out after the 2020 season, but the likely outcome is that he plays out his current deal.

On the Dodgers' side of things, they've been over the luxury-tax threshold for five years running.

What you got, St. Louis? They'll need to trade Stanton to achieve that, as his contract runs through the 2028 season.

The Marlins are rumored to want significant prospects in a deal for Stanton, in addition to a team willing to take on the majority of his contract.

If Ohtani agrees to a deal and Stanton is traded this week, that leaves the offseason with something of a late "start", but at least the timing is still a bit right as the winter meetings kick off on Sunday. However, the feeling is that he will probably approve the deal. That's perhaps why the Dodger front office is "slow playing" this to an extent. To what degree can the Marlins be cornered into paying more of that $295 million that Stanton is owed if those San Fran and St. Louis frameworks fall apart?